Casa do Sol pupils play lawn bowls at Linden Bowling Club
LINDEN – Linden Bowls Club assists Casa do Sol in pupil sport.
For nearly two years the Linden Bowling Club has played host to pupils from Casa do Sol School. Club president Darrel Johnston explained, “The council wants us to become more community orientated as this is council property.” He added that “community involvement” isn’t limited exclusively to bowls, but also for members of the community to use the facility for meetings and the like.
The pupils arrive every Friday and play lawn bowls from 8am–9am. Head of Department Ansonette Kraucamp explained, “We have our high-functioning pupils and our low-functioning pupils but it was very difficult finding sports for our mid-level functioning pupils to do. Lawn bowls is perfect.”
When asked about the improvement she has seen in the pupils over the two-year period, the difference is tangible. Kraucamp explained, “Gross motor development and co-ordination have seen huge improvements. There is also an improvement in the pupils’ socialising skills. We teach our pupils to socialise and work in a team and wait their turn. While they sometimes socialise at school, a lot of the time they need to be coerced into it. When they come here (Linden Bowling Club) they really interact.”
The pupils also love coming to the club. If, for any reason, the pupils cannot be brought through, Kraucamp said they become very unhappy. She added, “Our pupils are routine bound. Their schedule needs to be more or less the same every day. That makes them feel safe and secure; particularly our autistic pupils – if their routine is broken it is distressing.”
Some of the club members come to volunteer to help the children and have done so since the inception of the initiative. According to Kraucamp, they are incredibly supportive, patient and understanding. She has been with the school for about six years and said that is where she wants to retire. She added, “The children are so supportive and they always try to help each other, even if they’re physically disabled themselves. Our pupils are always happy – that’s something we can learn from them. They’re so grateful for the smallest thing; they don’t need big things to make them happy.
